A Weekend at the Lowcountry Land Trust Sporting Clays Event

After posting a few videos on Instagram from the sporting clays event Jordan, my wife, and I attended, I was surprised by how many people reached out asking the same questions: What is it? Where is it? How do I get involved? So, I thought I'd put together a quick overview of the Lowcountry Land Trust Sporting Clay Event and share why it left such an impression on us.

First, I should mention that this was my first year attending. In fact, I only learned about the event four or five months beforehand. I've enjoyed sporting clays my entire life, but only recently decided I wanted to compete. While researching tournaments and shooting events, this one appeared. I'm certainly glad it did.

Before signing up, I needed to become educated in who was hosting the event. The Lowcountry Land Trust is a conservation organization dedicated to protecting ecologically, agriculturally, and historically significant land and waterways across 17 counties of South Carolina's Coastal Plain. Through voluntary conservation easements with private landowners, the organization has permanently protected more than 167,000 acres of land.

The venue alone would have made the trip worthwhile. The competition was hosted on 14,000 acres of private land owned by Norfolk Southern Railroad, a property generally accessible only to employees, their guests, and participants attending the Lowcountry Land Trust event. To say the opportunity was special would be an understatement.

The property itself is remarkable. Once you go through the massive steel gates, you drive on a road between two lakes framed with palm trees and excellent landscaping. Scattered throughout are charming cottages, more lakes, ponds, hunting grounds, tennis courts, a driving range, and just about every outdoor sporting activity the Southeast has to offer. What impressed me most, however, was the ongoing commitment to improving and preserving the longleaf pine habitat throughout the property.

The event offered much more than just shooting. Attendees and guests enjoyed live music, multiple bars, outstanding meals, and a variety of pop-up vendors featuring brands familiar to many outdoor enthusiasts, including Brackish, Beretta, Marsh Wear, and several others. As a Garden & Gun-sponsored event, it delivered exactly the atmosphere you would expect: relaxed, welcoming, and distinctly Southern.

Jordan and I spent the afternoon enjoying the festivities, making new friends, and taking in the breeze off the water. We enjoyed a few well made drinks (after the shooting).

Following a warm welcome and a thorough safety briefing, we headed to our assigned station. I entered as an individual shooter and was grouped with three other gentlemen. The staff at Lowcountry Land Trust went above and beyond by arranging a private golf cart for Jordan and me, allowing her to chauffeur me from stand to stand throughout the course. It was a thoughtful touch that made the day even more enjoyable.

This was a true sporting clays tournament laid out across a stunning landscape. Shooters found themselves taking targets in open fields, over water, through wooded areas, and even across swamps. The course consisted of 14 stations and 100 total targets. Each stand was staffed by two volunteers, one responsible for keeping score and the other for operating the clay throwers.

The atmosphere balanced competition and camaraderie perfectly. There was plenty of friendly banter between shooters, but enough talent on the course to keep everyone focused.

By the end of the day, I managed to win my foursome with a score of 90 out of 100. The highest score on Saturday was 95, while the top score of the entire weekend was an incredible 99 out of 100. I was proud of my performance, but equally amazed by the skill level of some of the competitors. Watching shooters come within a single clay of perfection is impressive no matter how long you've been involved in the sport.

And then there was the auction.

While seated with a gentleman running for the South Carolina State House, Jordan and I learned that during the previous year's event, attendees had won everything from high-end outdoor experiences to an African Safari. This year they had custom oil paintings, pottery lessons, knives, framed prints, and high end clothing. Naturally, despite a long history of telling myself not to participate in charity auctions, I couldn't resist.

The auction was conducted online throughout the weekend. Before we even arrived at the property, I placed what I considered a lowball bid on a guided quail hunt for two. The bid was below the listed value and well under what I assumed would be the winning number.

As it turns out, I was completely wrong.

To Jordan's amusement, and perhaps my own surprise, we are now scheduled for an upcoming quail hunting adventure. Apparently, I still haven't learned that placing bids "just to see what happens" carries a certain amount of risk. At least it's for conservation.

Looking back, the event exceeded expectations in every way. It was exceptionally organized, well attended, and the Lowcountry Land Trust team deserves tremendous credit for creating an experience that felt seamless despite the enormous effort required to host something of this scale.

If you're an outdoor enthusiast, conservation supporter, sporting clays shooter, or simply someone looking for a uniquely Southern weekend experience, I highly recommend learning more about the organization and attending the next event in 2027.

As for me, I'll be back.

And with a little luck, maybe next time I'll leave with a trophy.